20200629 Prelude to the Drama – Discussion Between Maitirī and Prema-bhakti

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 29^th June 2020 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Introduction: Today we are reading about a drama that Lord Caitanya performed at Māmā Ṭhākura’s house. Before we start the class, we would just like to request the devotees to intensify their prayers for His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami, since he was making some progress but, recently not so much. I think that we need to increase our prayers. If it so pleases Kṛṣṇa, he may recover.

So, this is a discussion between the actresses, Maitirī, personified friendship, and Prema Bhakti personified prema-bhakti.

Prelude to the Drama – Discussion Between Maitirī and Prema-bhakti

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17.241

ācāryaratnera gṛhe prabhura lakṣmīveśe nṛtya

tabe ācāryera ghare kaila kṛṣṇa-līlā
rukmiṇī-svarūpa prabhu āpane ha-ilā

Translation: Thereafter a dramatization of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes was performed in the house of Śrī Candraśekhara Ācārya. The Lord personally took the part of Rukmiṇī, the foremost of Kṛṣṇa’s queens.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.1.

(tataḥ praviśati maitrī)

(Maitrī enters).

maitrī : haddhī haddhī ! parāṇa-metta-ubbario jo ekko amha-baṁsassa kaḍambo birāo jībadi tti sudaṁ, taṁ ṇa āne kahiṁ baṭṭadi | ahampi jaṁ ṇāma metteṇa jīvāmi, tampi so ṇa āṇedi, tā uddesaṁ karemi | (iti parito’valokya) ammā kā iaṁ purado āacchadi ? [hā dhik hā dhik ! prāṇa-mātrorvarito ya eko’smad-vaṁśasya kaḍambo virāgo jīvatīti śrutaṁ, taṁ na jāne kutra vartate | aham api yan-nāma-mātreṇa jīvāmi, tad api sa na jānāti, tad-uddeśaṁ karomi | aho keyaṁ purato āgacchati ? ]

Maitrī: Alas! Alas! I heard that my kinsman Vairāgya is barely alive. I don't know where he is. He also does not know that even I am alive only in name only. Therefore, I will look for him. (She looks in all directions). Ah, who is this coming in front?

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the personified friendship is discussing how her kinsman Vairāgya, the personified renunciation is almost dead. Because of the influence of Kali-yuga, the principles of renunciation, friendship, they are alive only in name. so, the drama unfolds.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.2.

(saṁskṛtam āśritya)

(Taking shelter of Sanskrit)

ānanda-mūrtir amṛta-dravavat samantād
aṅga-prabhāṁ tata itaḥ sarasāṁ kirantī
āsādayanty atitarāṁ karuṇā-kaṭākṣair
antar-viśuddhim akhilasya puro’bhyupaiti

Translation: A blissful form, like a nectarean liquid, flooding all directions with the splendor of its limbs, glancing with eyes of mercy and purifying everyone's heart completely, now approaches.

Jayapatākā Swami: Who can it be? Wo can it be?

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.3.

(iti sa-vismayam ālokayati)

(She gazes with wonder).

(tataḥ praviśati prema-bhaktiḥ)

(Prema-Bhakti enters)

prema-bhaktiḥ (puro’valokya): aho keyam?

nāmaika-mātraṁ vapur ādadhānā
vimlāna-kāntiḥ paritoṣa-hīnaḥ
sotkaṇṭham asman-mukham īkṣamāṇā
śanaiḥ śanair mat-purato’bhyupaiti

Prema Bhakti: (glancing in front) Ah! Who is this slowly coming before me, who is unhappy, whose splendor crushed, body alive in name only and gazing me with longing?

Jayapatākā Swami: Since all the qualities of the Lord have personalities, just like the holy tīrthas have a personality of Deity, just like Gaṅgā devī, Yamunā devī. So, this personified Prema-Bhakti is seeing how this personified friendship is almost dead.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.4

maitrī (nipuṇaṁ nibhālya): ammahe, iaṁ ccea premma-bhatti jaṇaṇī kahieṇa lacchaṇeṇa lacchīadi, tā ubasallia paṇamāmi | (ity upasṛtya) dei ! bandijjasi metti-ṇāma-dheāe mae | [āścaryaṁ, iyaṁ eva prema-bhakti jananī kathitena lakṣaṇena lakṣyate, tad upasṛtya praṇamāmi | devi ! vandyase maitrī-nāma-dheyayā mayā

Maitrī: (looking carefully) Ah! Seen from the symptoms, this is Mother Prema Bhakti. Approaching her, I will bow down to her. (Approaching) Goddess! I, known by name Maitrī, bow down to you.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.5

prema-bhaktiḥ (sa-camatkāram): kathaṁ maitrī tvam asi, ehi vatse ehi! (ity āliṅgya) Maitirī ! kathaya katham ekākinī duravasthitā bhramasi ?

Prema Bhakti: (with surprise) How are you Maitrī? Come daughter, come. (She embraces Maitrī) Maitrī, tell me, why, so unhappy, do you wander all alone?

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.6

maitrī : kali-paḍiaṇehiṁ ṇijjidesu amha-sapacchesu bhaabhemhalidā jīvidaṁ geṇhia palāidā | ado me duravatthaṁ kiṁ pucchesi ? [kali-parijanair nirjireṣu mat-sapakṣeṣu bhaya-vihvalitā jīvitaṁ gṛhītvā palāyitāḥ | ato mama duravasthāṁ kiṁ pṛcchasi ?]

Maitrī: When my groups were defeated by Kali's friends, overcome with fear, I fled for my life. Therefore, why do you ask about my misfortune?

Jayapatākā Swami: So, these good qualities of human beings were defeated by the forces of Kali, by the illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat eating and hoarding of gold. So, these bad habits destroy one’s natural good habits. This drama is written in Sanskrit language, and we are just reading the translation.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.7

prema-bhaktiḥ : vatse ! nirbhayam ataḥ paraṁ sthīyatāṁ mat-saṅgenaiva | tava mātāmaha-bhaginy asmi |

Prema Bhakti: Daughter, don't be afraid and stay with me hereafter. I am the sister of your grandmother.

maitrī: kahaṁ bia ? [katham iva?]

Maitrī: How is that?

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.8

prema-bhaktiḥ: āmūlam ākalaya
bhagavad-anugraha-nāmā janako bhagavaj-janāsaktiḥ
jananī tayos tu samaye’janiṣata bhūrīṇy apatyāni

Prema Bhakti: Note this from the beginning. Father by name Bhagavat-anugraha (Mercy of the Lord) and mother Bhagavat-jana-āsakti (Attachment to the Lord's Devotees) gave birth to numerous offspring in course of time.

Jayapatākā Swami: She is showing the history of the offsprings of the Lord’s devotees.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.9

api ca—
eko viveka-nāmā tanayo bahvyas tu bhakti-saṁjñikāḥ kanyāḥ
tasya vivekasya mater anasūyā nāma duhitāsīt

Among them was one son named Viveka (Discrimination), and there were many daughters known by the names Bhakti (sādhana-bhakti, bhāva-bhakti, prema-bhakti, etc…). Viveka and his wife Mati (Thoughtfulness) had a daughter named Anasūya (Non-envy).

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.10

api ca—
anasūyā samabhāvaṁ patim āsādya svabhāvajaṁ śuddham
maitrīm asūta putrīṁ bhavatīṁ mat-toṣa-sandhātrīm

Further, Anasūya married Sama-bhāva (Equanimity) and had two sons, Sva-bhāva (Naturalness) and Śuddha (Purity), and source of my happiness, you as a daughter (Maitrī).

Jayapatākā Swami: Now in this way, she, Prema Bhakti, showed how she is the sister of her grandmother, in this way, she is like a granddaughter.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.11

api ca—
kanyakāḥ sarasa-nīrasa-bhāvād
āyayur dvividhatāṁ prathamaṁ tāḥ
nīrāsās tu bahudhā guṇa-yogād
bhejire’tha daśatāṁ rasa-bhājaḥ

Translation: Further, the many daughters of Bhagavat-anugraha (Mercy of the Lord) and Bhagavat-jana-āsakti (Attachment to the Lord's Devotees) first obtained two groups, viz., Sarasa (with rasa) and Nīrasa (dry, without rasa). Nīrasa, devoid of rasa, obtained many forms due to the association of guṇa (modes of material nature) and Sarasa obtained ten forms (nine process of bhakti and prema-bhakti).

Jayapatākā Swami: Actually, it shows how the qualities have come through various influences, by culmination of appreciation of the devotees of the Lord, and by the mercy of the Lord. So, these two things produce many other good qualities.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.12

ujjvalādbhuta-śamāś ca hasaś ca
preyo vatsala itīha rasāḥ ṣaṭ |
uttamā iti tad-āśraya-bhājo
bhaktayaś ca ṣaḍ amūr atiyogyāḥ

Translation: Among the Bhakti named Sarasa, the following six, viz., Ujjvala-rasa (Conjugal love), Adbhuta-rasa (wonder), Śānta-rasa (neutrality), Hāsya-rasa (humour), Prema-rasa (Love or Prema-bhakti), and Vātsalya-rasa (parenthood) are the best. Thus, these six types of Bhakti are fit for Rati (attachment to the Lord).

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.13

maitrī : caramā hi pemma-rasa-bhatti ? [caramā hi prema-rasa-bhaktiḥ ?]

Maitrī: The best is Prema-rasa-bhakti.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.14

prema-bhaktiḥ: atha kim tathā hi—
sarve rasāś ca bhāvāś ca taraṅgā iva vāridhau
unmajjanti nimajjanti yatra sa prema-saṁjñakaḥ

Prema Bhakti: Yes. It has been said that prema-bhakti is like an ocean and all rasas and ecstasies are like waves that rise and fall in it.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can see why prema-bhakti is so effulgent and she is unaffected by the influence of Kali, so we should all take shelter of prema-bhakti.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.15

khaṇḍānandā rasāḥ sarve so’khaṇḍānanda ucyate
akhaṇḍe khaṇḍa-dharmā hi pṛthak pṛthag ivāsate ||

eṣa te vyākhyāto nijānvayaḥ

Translation: All types of rasa are called as fragmented happiness and prema-bhakti is called as non-fragmented happiness. All the fragmented are present each separately in non-fragmented. Thus, I have narrated you about our own family.

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way, we can see how devotional service to the Lord, produces all these good qualities, and this we want to promote in the world. If people have these qualities of love and devotion for Kṛṣṇa, then they will produce the world which is ideal.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.16

maitrī : dei ! dāṇīṁ tumaṁ eāiṇī kahiṁ baccasi ? [devi ! idānīṁ tvam ekākinī kutra vrajasi ?]

Maitrī: Goddess, where are you going now, all alone?

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.17

prema-bhaktiḥ : Maitirī ! asmākam āśraya-bhūtasya bhagavataḥ kasyāpi śrī-viśvambhara-devasya vihita-sarvāvatāra-līlasya samprati vṛndāvaneśvarī-bhāvam anucikīrṣor anujñayā sakala-lokasya hṛdaya-śodhanāya sādhayāmi

Prema Bhakti: Maitrī! Our shelter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Viśvambhara who is displaying the pastimes of all incarnations, at present has desired to display the mood of Vṛndāvaneśvarī (Rādhā) and so on His order, I am going to purify everyone's heart.

Jayapatākā Swami: So this drama is showing the confidential purpose of Lord Caitanya’s avatāra, and He wanted to display the mood of Rādhārāṇī. So prema-bhakti is purifying everyone’s hearts. So that they can be part of the pastimes of the Lord.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.18

maitrī : kahiṁ ? [kutra?]

Maitrī: Where?

prema-bhaktiḥ : yatra khalu tad-bhāva-bhāvuka-subhagambhāvukatayā sarva-bhuvana-priyambhāvukasya tasya tan-nūtyānukaraṇaṁ bhaviṣyati

Prema Bhakti: To the place where the Lord, the well-wisher of all the worlds and the recipient of everyone’s love, imbibing the mood of Rādhārāṇī will dance like Her.

Jayapatākā Swami: Where could that be?

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.19

maitrī: so jjeb a ko padeso? [sa eva kaḥ pradeśaḥ ?]

prema-bhaktiḥ: ācārya-ratnasya purāṅganam |

Maitrī: Where is that?

Prema Bhakti: Ācāryaratna's courtyard.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.20

maitrī: kahaṁ dāba īsaro hūbia itthi-bhāveṇa ṇaccissadi ? [kathaṁ tāvad īśvaro bhūtvā strī-bhāvena nartiṣyati?]

Maitrī: How is that being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He will dance in the mood of a woman?

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.21

prema-bhaktiḥ: bāle ! na jānāsi īśvaraḥ khalu sarva-rasaḥ sarveṣāṁ bhaktānām āśayānurodhād vicitrām eva līlāṁ karoti | sva-sva-vāsanānusāreṇa bhaktās tāṁ tām anukurvanti | ataḥ keṣāñcin nibhṛtānāṁ bhāgavatānāṁ cetasi tad-bhāvam evāśayituṁ sarvottamottamāṁ tad-anukāra-līlāṁ kariṣyati | yataḥ param anyaṁ sarasaṁ nāsti |

Prema Bhakti: Child! You don't understand. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is indeed the reservoir of all rasas and performs different pastimes according to the desire of all devotees. Each according to His own desire, the devotees follow Him in His pastimes. But, to bring Her (Rādhā's) ecstatic love into the hearts of some intimate devotees, the Lord will now act Her supreme pastimes. Nothing is sweeter than this.

Jayapatākā Swami: So how Prema Bhakti is revealing, this confidential information about Lord Caitanya’s incarnation, how the Lord is the source of all rasas. So, He wants to act out the pastime of Rādhārāṇī, so nothing is more sweeter than this.

Caitanya candrodaya nāṭaka 3.22

maitrī: kadhehi, taṁ ṇaccaṁ kiṁ andhakaraṁ kimbā paiṇṇaaṁ | [kathaya, taṁ nṛtyaṁ kim aṅka-rūpaṁ kiṁ vā prakīrṇakam |]

Translation: Maitrī: Tell me: Will this dance be a aṅkarūpa (formal play with separate acts?), or prakīrṇakam (a miscellaneous chapter).

prema-bhaktiḥ: aṅka-rūpam eva

Prema Bhakti: It will be a play with acts.

Maitirī: Tell me: Will this dance be an aṅkarūpa (formal play with separate acts?) or prakīrṇakam (a miscellaneous chapter).

Prema Bhakti: It will be a play with acts.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this whole exchange between Maitirī and Prema Bhakti, is a prelude or introduction to the drama which will follow.

So, this is to prepare the audience, for what is about to follow.

Thus, ends the chapter, Prelude to the Drama – Discussion Between Maitirī and Prema-Bhakti.”

Who starts in Vṛndāvana and ends in Vṛndāvana? You see, think hard? Who starts in Vṛndāvana and ends in Vṛndāvana? Rājāpur Jagannātha. Because, normally in Jagannātha Purī, Jagannātha lives in Nilācala, which is non-different from Dvārakā. So, He goes to Guṇḍicā, which is Vṛndāvana, but the ulṭa-ratha takes Him back to Dvārakā. But in Rājāpur, Navadvīpa, Lord Jagannātha Baladeva, Subhadrā, live in Vṛndāvana, because Navadvīpa is non-different from Vṛndāvana. So, He starts in Vṛndāvana, and He ends up in Vṛndāvana! He never leaves Vṛndāvana. Just like it says that Kṛṣṇa never leaves Vraja. So, Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā of Rajapur, They start from Vṛndāvana, and they end up in Vṛndāvana! They never leave Vṛndāvana. So, on July 1^st Wednesday, we are having the return ratha of Lord Jagannātha. Because, we heard that it is difficult for everyone to register, although we will have registration, but we will also request different temples and yātrās, that if they can take a ratha and sponsor a ratha for 500 participants, so in that way we can have many rathas, with many devotees. Two more days to the return ratha, get your temple president to sponsor one of the rathas.

So, thank you very much!